Investment banking/M&A: currently 1201 jobs.The latest job was posted on 24 May 18.

Investment Banking / M & A

Many investment banking jobs listed on efinancialcareers.com focus on M&A - mergers and acquisitions. This area of the finance world deals with businesses who merge to become one, or businesses who buy another company, either wholly or in part. Roles in this area involve building strong, long lasting relationships with clients, and are considered to be one of the most fulfilling finance roles when deals are completed.

The Current Market

Is now a good time to find a job in investment banking, M&A in particular? That's the subject of some debate. Since the global financial crisis, fewer companies have felt confident enough to invest heavily in rivals, which has seen the market drop. However, deal activity is picking up and the United States leads the way, so if you're going to get a job in M&A, the US is a good place to do so.

Who to Work For

Deciding who to work for really depends upon your personal preferences. With smaller investment banks, you'll oversee a complete project from start to finish, which can be very satisfying. With larger banks, the pay and rewards can be greater, but you'll likely zone in on one specific niche of the deal. Currently, the biggest names in the mergers and acquisitions sector include Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, Citi, and Barclays.

Skills Required

Rising to the top of investment banking in terms of mergers and acquisitions isn't as long winded as you may think, as 'junior' roles aren't particularly common. This doesn't mean that new graduates can't or won't find a job within M&A, it's more to do with the fact that junior roles don't really exist, and there is a very minimal hierarchy within the sector. This is because each and every merger is unique, so there are always different skills that come to the fore. While you will gain some transferrable experience on the job, it's not necessarily the case that the more mergers you've handled, the more adept you are at doing so, as there are new challenges with each deal.
A vital skill that is necessary, however, is a thick skin and the ability to take rejection well. A very low percentage of deals actually make it through to completion, regardless of how much effort has been put it to rationalize and see how the deal might be structured. It's not so much a role for those who like to see results from their work - it's more for people who enjoy the journey.